The present invention relates generally to recloseable packages for hermetically sealing consumable products between generally opposing package side panels, and more particularly to recloseable packages for food products and the like in which the package has multiple, separately recloseable product portions.
Certain processed meats and/or food products sold to consumers are sold in packages in which the processed meats or food products are mounted on a backing board. The freshness of these food products such as bacon, sliced luncheon meats, cheeses and the like contained within these packages depends upon the extent to which the package is vacuum packed or gas flushed and subsequently hermetically sealed. Often, the purchaser does not use the entire amount of food product contained within such packages at once, but rather uses each food product over an extended period of time. Often, the purchaser freezes the initial package purchased and thaws it when it is needed. If the initial package contains more product than that which cannot be completely consumed in one sitting, the purchaser must often repack the food product in separate, portion-sized different recloseable containers. Accordingly, a need exists for an improved food product package of the type having multiple, easily separable product portion cavities, where each of the product cavities has its own separate recloseable seal.
The improved packages of the present invention provide significant advantages in that each product portion has its own hermetic seal and recloseable seal so that each individual product portion cavity is liquid tight and suitable retains within the cavity, fluids of the products contained therein, including water, juices, oils and the like. Each individual product cavity can be selectively accessed through its individual recloseable seal. A hermetic seal disposed around each product cavity and interior of each recloseable seal has an easy open or "peel " seal portion located adjacent to the product, Each recloseable seal is opened with digital pull-apart forces which are also used to open the peel seal. The peripheral hermetic seal can maintain a vacuum pressurized and/or gas-flushed environment within the package. A "zipper" seal consisting of interengaging components such as rib and groove fastener elements is the preferred recloseable seal means.
One or more central web portions of the package effectively separate the individual product cavities from each other, and each web portion preferably contains a line of weakening which enables a user to easily separate and store individual product cavities.
The recloseable seals associated with each of the multiple product portion cavities are attached to confronting faces of the packaging films. Interengaging fastener elements are provided in pairs having a central interconnecting web and are adhered directly to the opposing package film sheets. Each interengaging fastener element pair is permanently anchored to the opposing package panels and is sealed at the opposite ends thereof, which decreases the possibility that the package films may tear or separate either when the individual product cavities are separated from the package or when one of the product cavities is accessed. The central web portions of the package which separate the product portions preferably also have a tamper evident feature in that the central web portions are provided with one or more lines of weakening extending therein which must be broken for the user to obtain access to the individual product compartment recloseable seals.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved recloseable package for use with products and which has multiple, individually sealed product cavities, each such product cavity having its own recloseable seal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a recloseable, multi-compartment package for food products and the like having a separate recloseable seal associated with each food product compartment, the multiple compartments being joined by a package central web portion having a line of weakening associated therewith which enables easy separation of the compartments and access thereto.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a package having separate product portions sealed within the package, each of the individual product portions having an individual recloseable seal and an individual hermetic seal associated therewith.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a product package having distinct product packs, each product pack having a recloseable seal associated therewith, each product compartment having a tamper evident extension associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved food product package having multiple individual food product compartments, recloseable seals exterior of the food products and hermetic seals interior of the recloseable seal, the multiple food product compartments being foldably connected by associated package web portions so as to provide a multi-component stack of food-filled compartments separated by a web portion folded onto itself.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description.